Does the iTrip Auto Universal charge my iPod?

No. It plugs into your 12 volt DC outlet to power the FM transmitter, but it does not charge your iPod. This is because the sound you’re transmitting is coming from your iPod’s (or other music player’s) headphone jack. The iTrip Auto Universal receives the audio and transmits it to your stereo. No power, however, is traveling to the iPod, Sansa, Zune, iRiver, etc.

What music players are compatible with the iTrip Auto Universal?

Any music player with a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack is compatible. Any iPod, Zune, Sansa, other mp3 player, DVD player, or CD player with a regular headphone jack should be fine.

To use this device with an iPhone, you’d need a Griffin headphone adapter to fit the plug into the iPhone’s recessed headphone jack.

Where should I set the audio output for the best sound?

You should set the output of your audio player to about 70-80% for the best sound quality. If the output is set lower than that, you will have to compensate by cranking up your car stereo and the overall sound will be noisier. Lower audio output could also result in the iTrip Auto Universal shutting itself off, as it may not detect any audio present.

Why does it shut off automatically?

The iTrip Auto Universal was designed to shut itself off after a minute or so if no audio is present. Even if the audio is extremely quiet, the iTrip may still shut itself off. We recommend listening to your audio at 70% or higher to keep this from happening. This way, the automatic shut-off will only happen when you want it to, like when you leave the iTrip plugged into your car’s outlet while you’re away.

What is the difference between the iTrip Auto Universal and the iTrip Auto Universal Plus?

The iTrip Auto Universal plugs into the headphone jack of your mp3 player. The other end plugs into the power outlet of your car. The car’s outlet powers the iTrip Auto’s FM transmitter, but it does not charge your mp3 player.

The iTrip Auto Universal Plus has an additional female USB jack so you can make use of all the features described above AND charge your mp3 player at the same time. If your mp3 player uses a USB cable, you can use this cable with the iTrip Auto Universal Plus to charge your mp3 player while transmitting the audio to your FM radio.

Where is the Station Finder software?

We have a new web-based Station Finder called SmartScan. You can check it out here.

SmartScan StationFinder tells you the best frequencies to broadcast through when using any of our iTrip family of iPod transmitter devices. No matter how you’re accessing StaionFinder, the application automatically formats the page for your device, including support for Apple’s new iPhone as well as desktop and mobile phone browsers. No matter where you are in the US, you can identify the clearest frequencies to use.